Haute Route Ski Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival Day
The group will rendez-vous at the Chamonix Experience Office in Argentière(altitude 1,240m.), just a few kilometres from Chamonix. Here, we will have an informal chat about the week ahead. There will also be a chance for the guideto check out your clothing and gear and you have time to decide if you need to pick up any further items of equipment or leave some behind to lighten your pack before setting out in the morning.
Day 2. Warm up day with a ski tour in the valley
We start with a warm up day with your guide doing a local ski tour in the valley before setting off on the HauteRoute. That way you have a chance to make sure your gear works and that you have everything you need and not too much and the guide will check everybody’s ski level . We will return to the hotel in the Chamonix valley for the night. After several years of going directly to the Argentiere refuge for the first night, we have decided that it is more beneficial for everybody to return to the valley, start the next day from there and go straight to the Trient refuge. Plus, the Chamonix valley has so many nice tours to explore.
Day 3. To the Trient refuge in Switzerland
An early start to catch the first lift up Grands Montets in the morning. We ski down the glacier at the back to the bottom of the Col de Chardonnet. This is a rather long ascent of about 750m and four and a half hours. From the Col at 3,323m, we descend into Switzerland onto the Saleina Glacier. We have a short ski down to 3,091m and then a skin up to Fenêtre de Saleina (3,261m). To reach the Trient refuge (3,170m) we have to cross the Trient Plateau, approximately a one hour flat skin. This is quite a hard day with a total of about 1,000m of ascent.
Day 4. Trient refuge to Mont Fort refuge
We descent down Val d’Arpette to the Village of Champex (1,466m). In Champex, the guide will arrange taxi to Verbier (1,490m). In Verbier we will have the possibility to stock up on food (lunch packs) adjust gear if needed, take out money etc. From there we will take a lift to get to the Mont Fort refuge (2,457m) which offers the luxury of a shower. It is an easy day with almost no ascent.
Day 5. Mont Fort to the Prafleuri refuge
After four to five hours of skinning uphill, you reach the summit of Rosablanche (3,336m, total ascent of 1,060m). From there we have a great descent to the lovely Prafleuri refuge (2,624m).
Day 6. Prafleuri to Dix refuge
An early start to avoid avalanche risk as we are spending most of this day traversing the west side of the Lac des Dix. It is a flat ski down followed by a flat skin up. The last bit up to the Dix refuge (2,928m) is steeper. We should reach the refuge in time for a late lunch and a relaxing afternoon. The total ascent is approximately 450m.
Day 7. Dix to Vignettes refuge via Pigne d’Arolla
From the Dix refuge we have a long skin (4 1/2 hours) up to the Pignes d’Arolla (3,790m) which is the highest point on the Haute Route. It is not obligatory to go all the way to the summit should the group feel tired. From the Pigne d’Arolla, we enjoy a nice descent to the Vignettes refuge (3,160m) perched on a rocky ledge above the Arolla village.
Day 8. Vignettes to Zermatt – a long last day!
This is a long, hard last day. We start with a skin across the Glacier du Mt Collon up to Col de l’Evèque (3,386m) then a short descent and another skin up to Col du Mt Brulé (3,213m). This is followed by a rising traverse up to Col de Valpelline (3,568m) which is our last ascent. 
Finally we have a long descent down the Stoch and the Zmutt glaciers to Zermatt. The last bit can be very slushy as it is late in the day. Total ascent 950m.
After a well deserved beer in Zermatt there will be a minibus waiting to take you back to Chamonix, a two and a half hour drive. You will be taken back to your hotel where you can enjoy a hot shower and a comfortable bed.
Day 9. Departure Day
The trip package ends after breakfast.
This is an interactive map of our winter itinerary.
Download this Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt to view it in 3D in Google Earth.
Please note:
All times quoted above are approximate and will vary depending on the level of the group and the conditions. This itinerary via Verbier has room for flexibility and can be changed along the way should the weather get bad.
